Okay, here’s the real story.

No Former Athlete didn’t start as a business idea.

It started with an identity crisis.

We were in the middle of the pandemic, feeling off, watching Brittany Runs a Marathon… and by the end of the movie I was signing up for an Ironman.

Why?

Because I missed being an athlete.

Not the glory.

Not the applause.

The identity.

The structure.

The validation.

The feeling of knowing exactly what I was good at.

No one prepares you for the day your sport ends.

It just… ends.

And then you wake up the next morning and you’re still the same human —

but you don’t have practice anymore.

In this episode we talk about:

• Why “former athlete” feels like a gut punch
• How self-worth gets wrapped up in performance
• Why athletes are told to “just move on”
• The grief nobody names
• And why you don’t actually have to stop identifying as an athlete

This isn’t about living in the glory days.

It’s about mental health.

It’s about acknowledging the part of you that trained for two decades and didn’t just disappear because society said it should.

If you’ve ever wondered:

“Why does this still affect me 10 years later?”

“Why do I miss something I chose to stop?”

“Why does draining a shot still feel like proof I’m good at something?”

You’re not alone.

You’re a No Former Athlete.

And we’re done pretending that part of us is supposed to vanish.

From Competitive Cheerleader to Women’s Sports Broadcaster | Athlete Identity After Sport with Ari

Most people assume Ari played basketball.

She’s 6 feet tall. She covers women’s sports. It feels obvious.

But her athletic background?

Taekwondo. Gymnastics. Competitive all-star cheer. Volleyball.

Use code ARIPOD to get a special discount to get lifetime access on the NFA Breathe Here Now Virtual Breathwork session. https://bit.ly/Ari-Breathwork

In this episode of the No Former Athlete Podcast, Ari shares her full athletic journey — from earning a black belt at 4 years old to competing in Division I cheer, to navigating a medical situation that abruptly ended her volleyball career.

We talk about:

• The physical reality of competitive cheerleading (and why it’s one of the most demanding sports)
• Growing up tall in gymnastics
• Losing a sport unexpectedly
• Transitioning out of team athletics
• Redirecting competitive energy into career and entrepreneurship
• Founding Highlighter and building a platform for women’s sports
• The perfectionism that follows athletes into adulthood
• Why women’s sports advocacy is her life’s work

This conversation goes deep into athlete identity after sport, chasing perfection outside of competition, and what it means to still be an athlete long after the uniform comes off.

If you’ve ever struggled with life after sports, leaving a team environment, or redefining what winning looks like — this episode is for you.

Are you an athlete?

Ari’s answer: Always. Forever. Even if it looks different now.

Use code ARIPOD to get a special discount to get lifetime access on the NFA Breathe Here Now Virtual Breathwork session. https://bit.ly/Ari-Breathwork

What happens when the thing that defined you… ends?

In this episode of No Former Athlete, Brad Hauter opens up about life after sport — from being told he’d never play again, to playing professionally for 10 years, to chasing validation long after the crowd was gone.

We talk athlete identity, fake dopamine, ego, grief, and the emotional crash that comes when the season ends — sometimes over and over again. Brad shares what finally helped him find grounding, purpose, and relevance beyond the game.

If you’ve ever felt lost without the structure, validation, or identity of sport — you’re not alone.